Food package



J. S. GAPINSKI July 11, 1961 FOOD PACKAGE Filed March 50, 1960 F 4INVENTOR.

JOSEPH S. GAPINSKI ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,992,119 FOOD PACKAGEJoseph S. Gapinski, 133 Oak St., Brooklyn 22, N.Y. Filed Mar. 30, 1960,Ser. No. 18,589 6 Claims. (Cl. 99179) This invention relates towrappers, and more particularly, concerns wrappers for plasticsubstances such as edible, materials including butter, margarine, cheeseand the like.

Conventional wrappers for butter, margarine or other plastic products,formed from paper, metal foil, films or composites thereof, tend tocling to the wrapped material, rendering it somewhat diflicult toseparate the wrapper from the wrapped material. In many instances,particularly in the case of margarine or butter, in bar or othersuitable form, paper and foil wrappers adhere to the wrapped materialwith such tenacity as to require the use of finger nails to lift wrapperportions away from the wrapped material, which is a messy andundesirable op eration.

. Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a wrapperstructure for plastic substances such as butter, margarine or the like,which lends itself to simple, orderly manipulation to readily separatethe wrapped material from its wrapper.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved wrapper ofthe character described, which may be used with conventional wrappingmachinery; is economical; and which may be manipulated in a manner toeffect opening of the wrapper and simultaneous separation of the wrappedmaterial from the wrapper.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved wrapper forbars of butter, margarine or the like, wherein a simple folded structurethereof, which does not increase the bulk of the wrapper or undulymodify the conventional appearance thereof, and includes the usualfolded end tabs, may be easily and quickly manipulated through said endtabs to effect an automatic release of the bar from its wrapper.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in par-thereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a wrapper embodying theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a bar to be wrapped, placed on saidwrapper;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wrapped bar; and

FIG. 4 is a view showing the wrapper opened to release the contentsthereof.

Essentially, the wrapper of the instant invention comprises a sheet ofconventional wrapping material, such as paper, foil or the like, whichhas been folded in a manner to provide a zone of extensibility in alongitudinal direction. The Wrapper is applied to the bar of material tobe wrapped, in a conventional manner, with longitudinally extendingoverlapped edge portions and folded end tabs. Upon lifting a pair of endtabs, respectively on the opposite ends of the wrapped bar, and pullingsuch tabs in opposite directions, the resultant extension of the wrapperin its zone of extensibility, is effective to simultaneously open thewrapper and release the contents therefrom.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, designates a wrapper embodying the invention.The same comprises a sheet ll of thin paper, metal foil, film, orlaminates thereof, which is quite limp and somewhat flaccid. The sheet11 may be ractangular in shape with parallel side edges 12, 13 and endedges 14. 15.

The sheet 11 is folded in a manner to provide an extensible portionmedially disposed between end edges 14,

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15. To this end, sheet 11 is folded along parallel lines 16, 17, 18 and19 to provide a median panel strip 20 and a pair of side panel strips21, 22 folded away from each other at adjacent fold lines 18, 19. Sidepanel strips 21, 22 are connected to median panel strip 20 by fold lines16, 17.

The sheet 11 is of such dimensions as to allow the same to be foldedabout an elongated body A, which may be of rectangular cross section,and take the form of a bar of butter, margarine or the like. The sheet11 is of a length to provide the usual end tabs as an incident to thewrapping operation.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bar A is placed on sheet 11 with the panelstrips 20, 21 and 22 innermost and the substantially abutting fold lines18, 19 outermost. The sheet 11 is then folded about bar A in aconventional manner, using wrapping machinery well known in the art.Thus, side edges 12, 13 are disposed in overlapping relation along oneface of bar A. The projecting end portions of the sheet 11 are folded toform successive end tabs 23, 24, 25 and 26.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, the wrapped bar A appears no different from aconventionally wrapped bar, except for the fold lines 18, 19 disposedmedially of the ends of the bar.

To effect separation of bar A from its wrapper 10, the wrapped bar isheld in a horizontal position, with overlapped side edges 12, 13 facingdownwardly. The top end tabs 26 at the opposite ends of the bar arelifted away from the ends of the bar, to a substantially horizontalposition.

The end tabs 26 are then pulled in opposite directions as indicated bythe arrows in FIG. 4. The panel strips 21, 22 are pulled away from eachother, and such action is effective to separate the overlapped edges 12,13 from each other. The end tabs 24, 25 are also opened and bottom tabsections 23, 23A become separated as edges 12, 13 separate. As aconsequence, the bottom portion of wrapper 10 is opened and bar A isfree to fall away from the wrapper.

Thus, it is apparent, that the wrapper 10 allows for simple manipulationthereof through the end tabs, to quickly and easily remove bar A fromits wrapper, in a simple and fastidious manner.

While wrapper 10 is shown with a specific arrangement of fold lines toform the overlapping panel strips which constitute the extensibleportion of said wrapper, it is understood that alternative foldarangement may be used, such as a Z fold, or the like, to provide thedesired extensible wrapper portion.

As various changes might be made in the embodiment of the inventionherein shown, without departing from the spirit thereof, it isunderstood that all matter herein shown or disclosed, shall be deemedillustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appendedclaims.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent:

1. In combination, a bar of butter and a wrapper for said bar, saidwrapper comprising a sheet of material with the inner surface thereof inclinging relation to the opposed surface portions of said bar, saidsheet of material having end and side edges and being folded along linesextending transversely of the side edges thereof to provide overlapping,longitudinally extendible portions, said sheet material being foldedabout said bar with the side edges thereof in longitudinal overlappingrelation and opposite end portions thereof folded against the respectiveends of said bar to provide end tabs, said end tabs being liftable awayfrom the ends of said bar to provide grasping means extendinglongitudinally from the ends of said wrapper whereby said end tabs maybe pulled longitudinally in opposite directions to simultaneouslydisplace said overlapping extendible portions, separate the longitudinaloverlapping portions of said Wrapper, separate the clinging innersurfaces of said wrapper from said bar and thereby allow said bar toseparate from said wrapper.

2. In combination, a bar of soft, plastic edible material and a wrapperfor said bar, which tends to adhere to the surface of said bar saidWrapper comprising a sheet of material having side and end edges, saidsheet being folded along parallel lines extending transversely of saidside edges to provide an extensible portion intermediate the end edgesthereof, said sheet being wrapped about said bar to dispose the oppositeside portions in longitudinally extending, overlapping relation and tendpor tions of said sheet being folded about the ends of said bars toprovide integral tabs, tabs on opposite ends of said wrapper beingadapted to be pulled in opposite directions to extend the extensibleportion of said wrapper and break the bond between the Wrapper and thebar whereby to separate the overlapping side edges of said wrapper andto allow said bar to be separated from said wrapper.

3. The combination, as in claim 2, wherein said extensible portion ofthe sheet comprises a pair of panel strips folded. away from each otherand a median panel strip connecting said pair of panel strips alongparallel fold lines.

4. In combination, a bar of soft, plastic edible material, a wrapper forsaid bar comprising a thin sheet of flaccid material having a tendencyto cling and adhere to said material, said sheet being folded alongparallel lines to provide an extensible portion intermediate the ends ofsaid bar, said wrapper having opposite edge portions in overlappingrelation extending longitudinally of said bar and folded end tabportions folded against the ends of said bar, end tabs at opposite endsof said bar being liftable to positions to allow the same to be pulledin opposite directions whereby the extensible portion of said wrapper isextended longitudinally of the bar to displace the overlapped edgeportions of the Wrapper from each other, break the bond between theadherent surface portions of the wrapper and the bar and to allow thebar to automatically separate from the wrapper.

5. The combination as in claim 4 wherein the extensible portion of saidwrapper comprises a pair of panel strips respectively folded away fromeach other and a median panel strip connected to said pair of stripsalong opposite folded edges.

6. The combination as in claim 5 wherein the first mentioned foldededges of said pair of strips are adjacent each other and on the outersurface of said wrapper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,789,699 Durham Jan. 20, 1931 1,848,119 Fairchild Mar. 8, 19322,296,951 Rosen et a1 Sept. 29, 1942 2,628,764 Rubinstein et al. Feb.17, 1953 2,633,986 Vogt Apr. 7, 1953

1. IN COMBINATION, A BAR OF BUTTER AND A WRAPPER FOR SAID BAR, SAIDWRAPPER COMPRISING A SHEET OF MATERIAL WITH THE INNER SURFACE THEREOF INCLINGING RELATION TO THE OPPOSED SURFACE PORTIONS OF SAID BAR, SAIDSHEET OF MATERIAL HAVING END AND SIDE EDGES AND BEING FOLDED ALONG LINESEXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE SIDE EDGES THEREOF TO PROVIDE OVERLAPPING,LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDIBLE PORTIONS, SAID SHEET MATERIAL BEING FOLDEDABOUT SAID BAR WITH THE SIDE EDGES THEREOF IN LONGITUDINAL OVERLAPPINGRELATION AND OPPOSITE END PORTIONS THEREOF FOLDED AGAINST THE RESPECTIVEENDS OF SAID BAR TO PROVIDE END TABS, SAID END TABS BEING LIFTABLY AWAYFROM THE ENDS OF SAID BAR TO PROVIDE GRASPING MEANS EXTENDINGLONGITUDINALLY FROM THE ENDS OF SAID WRAPPER WHEREBY SAID END TABS MAYBE PULLED LONGITUDINALLY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO SIMULTANEOUSLYDISPLACE SAID OVERLAPPING EXTENDIBLE PORTIONS, SEPARATE THE LONGITUDINALOVERLAPPING PORTIONS OF SAID WRAPPER, SEPARATE THE CLINGING INNERSURFACES OF SAID WRAPPER FROM SAID BAR AND THEREBY ALLOW SAID BAR TOSEPARATE FROM SAID WRAPPER.